A new teacher has been arranged for Rony. This teacher will come every Friday. The exact time hasn't been fixed yet. He may come in the morning or in the afternoon.
Rony has noticed that the biggest bad news always comes to him at the breakfast table. The time when their trip to Nepal was confirmed, Rony had packed his bag and was completely ready. He had said goodbye to his school friends and taken their addresses, promising to send postcards from Nepal. It was at the breakfast table that his mother announced the trip to Nepal was cancelled. At that time, Rony had just put a piece of bread in his mouth. He became so sad that the bread got stuck in his throat, and he began to cough violently. His mother looked at him and said with a stern voice, "Eat properly, Rony. If you stuff a whole piece of bread in your mouth, of course, it will get stuck in your throat." His father, too, lowered the newspaper from his face and stared at him with narrow eyes, as if Rony had committed a major crime. But the real crime had been committed by them—cancelling the trip at the very last moment.
Rony felt like getting angry at both his parents. But he couldn't. Because neither of them was his real parents. They were both his step-parents. Rony had a classmate who had a stepmother. Two boys in class have stepfathers. And Rony has both — one stepmother and one stepfather. Others might find that strange, but Rony doesn't. In fact, to him, it feels completely normal. Rony's mother died just after he was born. Since someone had to raise the baby, his father remarried. So that made the new woman his stepmother. Then, when Rony was in second grade, his father died in a shipwreck in the sea near Portugal — the Gulf of Cádiz. After Rony's father died, his stepmother remarried. And that made the new man his stepfather.
All of this doesn't make Rony sad or anything.
It's only when someone looks at him and says with pity, "Oh no, he doesn't have his real parents. Both are his step-parents. Poor child. How painful it might be for him!" — that's when he is annoyed.
Pain? Where's the pain? There's no pain.
When he's with his friends at school, he feels great.
When he goes to the school library to borrow books, he feels great.
When he comes home and watches TV, he feels great.
When he finishes studying and plays computer games, he feels great.
When does it feel bad?
It feels bad during breakfast. (Because that's when he hears harsh words from his parents.)
It feels bad when his tutors come to teach. (Rony already has three: English, Math, and Science. Now there will be a fourth — an Art teacher.)
And it feels bad when he goes to sleep at night. (Because he's terrified of sleeping alone.)
He starts thinking about all the ghost movies he's seen on TV. They didn't seem so scary when he was watching them. But when he's alone in bed — that's when they become terrifying.
A coffin lid creaks open by itself.
A hand comes crawling out — long, bony fingers with sharp nails.
Blood dripping from the tips.
If Rony gets too scared, he covers his face with a blanket. Then he imagines someone coming towards him and waiting for him to remove the blanket so that it can eat him.
When Rony goes to sleep at night, he wonders what his real parents would do. Surely, they wouldn't keep him alone in a separate room. And if they did, someone would come to sleep beside him when he got too scared—either his mom or his dad. The pictures of both his real parents are in his scrapbook. Rony looks at the pictures and thinks about which one would come sleep with him.
His mother's picture shows a very happy woman with a mischievous smile. Yes, his mom would definitely come. But if she came to stay, it would be a problem too. With such a mischievous face, she would definitely play pranks, wouldn't let him sleep, tickle him, and pull his hair. Even when his eyes started to close, she would keep telling stories. Just by looking at her picture, it feels like she was an expert storyteller.
His father's face, on the other hand, looks serious. He wears glasses, and his eyebrows are slightly furrowed. Serious people often have a hidden sense of humour—they don't show it openly. His father would definitely sleep with him, but before sleeping, he would give many pieces of advice: "There's no such thing as ghosts in this world. So don't get restless out of fear of ghosts." Parents like to give advice lovingly, almost as a form of care.
Rony doesn't actually sleep completely alone. Jasper sleeps on a mattress outside Rony's room. He keeps a mosquito coil near his head and another near his feet. Jasper talks all the time—during the day and even while half-asleep at night.
Jasper is Rony's caretaker. His job is to keep an eye on Rony—make sure he's okay, that the step-parents don't neglect or mistreat him. He reports everything to Rony's grandfather. That's why he's there. Jasper's manner is like a spy's—he talks in a low voice, as if plotting something, constantly looking around. At those moments, Rony imagines him as a mouse. The mouse from Tom and Jerry—Jerry. Rony sometimes laughs with his silly roleplays.
Jasper says, "Don't worry, Young Master, everything is under control. I'm not keeping an eye on you alone. There are many others watching. Many eyes."
- "Why so many eyes on me?"
- "Of course, because of the property and money. Your father left it to you in writing. And it's not a small property. It's worth millions. A seven-story shop in Kensington alone brings in thirty thousand pounds a month in rent."
- "Is that a lot of money?"
- "Yes! It's a lot of money. Lots and lots of money."
- "Exactly how much do you mean by 'lots'?"
- "I don't really know, but one thing I know is that my job is to keep an eye on you. When I'm lying in front of your room at night, do you think I'm asleep? No! I stay awake, never closing my eyes."
- "But… sometimes while sleeping I hear snoring sounds."
- "That's your imagination, Young Master. Maybe a dream? But indeed, sometimes even when I'm awake, I snore. Very strange, isn't it? Ha ha…"
Sometimes, Rony's grandfather, Michael Miller, comes to visit. Rony has never seen such an angry old man in his life. He can't say a single word calmly without shouting. His body smells strongly of cigarettes. The smell is so strong that it almost makes Rony nauseous. The grandfather talks to Rony very rudely, which Rony doesn't like. When speaking, he grabs Rony's shoulder tightly, which hurts, but Rony says nothing.
- "Well, what's with that frowning face? You doing good?"
- "Yes."
- "Do they hit you?"
- "Who would hit me?"
- "Who else? Those you live with."
- "No."
- "Tell me straight. Slaps, punches, pushes?"
"No."
- "If they beat or scold you, or neglect you in any way, tell me. I'll file a petition in court and take custody of you. Understand?"
- "I understand."
- "I suspect they beat you. You're afraid to say it, but there's no need to fear. Are they feeding you properly?"
- "Yes."
- "Be careful even with food. If you see that they secretly give you any syrup, don't take it. If you really want to try, first give some to Jasper."
- "Why?"
- "Because I said so. They might try to kill you by mixing poison in the juice."
- "Why would they try to kill me?"
- "If not kill, what else? They will hold you in their lap and adore you? You're as foolish as your father was."
- "Don't call my father foolish, Grandpa."
- "Should I not call a fool a fool?"
- "No."
- "You dare to talk back! Say it again and you'll regret it. Your father was the same at your age — one night, I made sure he never answered me again."
- "Grandpa, you are like a grumpy demon."
- "Here I am, all worried about your well-being, and you are calling me a demon? You ungrateful brat."
Rony is surrounded by problems. He had been to court several times. There were always disputes about where he should live.
The judges would ask him,
"Rony, where would you like to live?"
Rony always said,
- "I want to stay where I am."
- "Why is that?"
- "Well, I am having no problem staying there."
- "Would you like to live with your grandfather?"
- "No."
- "Why not?"
- "He's very angry. He once even tried to hit me just because he lost a bet or something."
- "You have an uncle. Would you want to live with him?"
- "No."
- "Is he angry too?"
- "I don't know him that well."
- "You have an aunt who lives in Bradford — Amelia Morgan. Would you stay with her?"
- "No."
- "Why not?"
- "When she talks, spit comes out of her mouth. It makes me shiver. It's really unpleasant and disgusting."
One of the judges is trying to stop himself from smiling.
The judge said,
"Alright, you can stay where you want."
Rony always needs to be careful since he is the son of a wealthy businessman. He keeps a Swiss Army knife, a torch, a candle, and a nylon rope in his school bag. If anyone locked him in a dark room, he could definitely get out.
Ding ding! The doorbell rang. Rony was sitting in the drawing room, surprised by the bell. Normally, the gatekeeper would call through the intercom before anyone came in. But this rule didn't apply to three people — Rony, his father, and his mother. Two of them — Rony and his mother were at home.
So who could it be? His father? No, he was in Marlowe and wouldn't be back until Monday. Today's Friday. Rony opened the door. An unfamiliar man stood there.
The man looked at him and said, "Hey, how are you, Rony?"
Rony said, "Good."
Rony wasn't surprised the stranger knew his name. Many strangers knew his name.
- "I am your new art teacher. I've come for an interview. I heard your mother doesn't hire anyone without an interview. "
- "Yes, you've heard right. Come in and sit down."
- "Is this the drawing room?"
- "Yes. Why ask?"
- " You guys sure live in luxury. Your drawing room is equivalent to my whole house."
Rony remained quiet because he didn't know how to respond to that statement. The man walked in and sat down comfortably on the sofa. Rony went to tell his mother. Rony's mother, Olivia Clarke, came down to take his interview. All teachers have to go through an interview. Only those who pass the interview can start teaching Rony.
Before the man said anything, he pulled out a packet of chewing gum from his pocket. Immediately, Olivia Clarke said, "What nonsense! You are going to chew gum during your interview?"
The man quickly hid the packet in his pocket and smiled foolishly. The man actually wanted to give the packet of chewing gum to Roni but got scolded immediately. Rony thought, "He is definitely not getting this job."
Rony felt a little bad. For no reason, he kind of liked the man.
Olivia Clarke asked, "What's your name?"
- "My name is Maxwell Cooper, but you can call me Max."
- "Huh? But I was told the art teacher's name would be Robert Barlow."
- "He can't come. He's very busy this month. He told me to fill in for him for a month. After that, he'll come regularly."
- "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll hire you. I don't even know you well. On the other hand, Robert Barlow is my husband's friend. You see, we can't take any type of risks concerning Rony, otherwise that pain in the ass grandfather of Rony might plot something against us. We'll manage even without an art teacher for a month. Rony will learn drawing from Robert Barlow after a month."
- "I can draw very well, though."
- "I don't care if you draw like Modigliani. I'm not hiring you."
- "Well, then what can I do. I really needed this job. If you're not hiring even an artist like Modigliani, then what chance do I have?"
- "Do you know who Modigliani is?"
- "Yes! His full name is Amedeo Modigliani. He was an Italian painter and sculptor. He made some of the greatest paintings in the world. He was born in 1884 and died in Paris in 1920."
- "Okay, thanks for sharing your knowledge. You can leave now."
- "Can I have a glass of Lemonade before I leave? If you don't mind.
- "You can't have Lemonade. The helpers are busy."
- " It's fine. I can wait a little while. I don't have anything else to do anyway. Sitting in an air-conditioned room is better than walking around outside aimlessly."
Rony found the man's words funny. He couldn't tell if his mother would give him the drink or not, but it seemed like she wouldn't.
"Should I sit and wait for the Lemonade?" the man asked.
Olivia Clarke sighed and left the room without answering the man. The man smiled, realizing that she would give him the drink.
The man looked at Rony and said, "Should I draw a picture of your mother while she's away? Maybe it'll make her less angry when she sees it."
Rony said, "Should I bring paper and a pencil for you?"
The man said, "Yes."
Rony brought a pencil and paper. He sat with his eyes closed for a moment, then quickly sketched a picture and handed it to Rony. He looked at the picture. It was a beautiful drawing of his mother. Rony was impressed by the man's drawing skills.
Rony said, "It's a really nice drawing."
- "Thanks. Do you think this drawing will help me get the job?"
- "No."
- "I thought so. Your mother didn't really have a good impression of me. You know, first impression is the last impression. Anyway, I'll leave after having my drink. Say thanks to your mother for me. Also, don't forget to give the drawing to your mother."
- "Ok."
The maid, Isabella, came in with the drink — Lemonade Aperol Spritz. Isabella said to the man, "Ma'am told you to leave after finishing the drink."
- "Okay!"
The man was delighted by the taste of the drink.
Isabella looked at Rony and said, "Ma'am is calling for you."
- "Okay, I will go. You go deliver this drawing to mother."
Isabella took the drawing.
Rony really wanted to talk more with the man. He didn't enjoy talking to everyone, but this man seemed different. He felt like he could have a nice conversation with him. The art teacher drank his coffee with a loud slurp. If his mother had been there, she would've scolded him for being rude.
Rony watched him. Before Isabella was about to leave, the man looked at her and said in a serious voice, "Isabella, your madam promised me 50 pounds. She forgot to give it. Please go upstairs and get the money."
Isabella left the room.
Rony started to wonder, "How did this man know Isabella's name? He spoke to her like he'd known her for a long time."
Rony asked, "How did you know Isabella's name?"
The man smiled and said, "You think I have some kind of superpower or something? I don't. I just asked the gatekeeper for everyone's name before entering."
- "Why?"
- "You never know when it'll come in handy. It came in handy now, didn't it? I could call Isabella and ask her to get the money."
- "Yeah"
- "But should we just sit here? Let's watch some TV."
- "If we watch TV now, my mother will be angry."
- "Oh, then let's just wait for her to bring the money."
He didn't have to wait long. Isabella came down with the money. The man put it in his pocket and stood up.
"Then I shall take my leave," he said to Rony.
Rony felt like saying, "Please come again," but he didn't. He knew his mother would get angry if the man came again. If his mother got angry, his father would too. Rony didn't want to upset either of them. So Rony remained silent.
Before leaving, he offered chewing gum to Roni and Isabella.